 |
|
|
native Spring flora blooming in the city!: |
| Author | Message |
|
ben rigsby Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 No. of posts: 337  View other posts by ben rigsby |
Posted: 08 Mar 2011 hi, wherever i go delivering mail in the urban/suburban areas i work, as i walk i constantly scan any roadsides, borders of footpaths, customers gardens/ponds and derelict so-called "waste" places etc for our native species such as slow worms,amphibians, butterflies, mammals and native flora. finding good numbers (for an URBAN environment!) of these 3 timeless UK Spring-defining wildflower wonders in such (thankfully) lightly-managed enclaves such as here has a similar uplifting effect on me as it did on the "lonely cloud" Wordsworth when he chanced upon his "host" of daffs in 1802! 
mind you, HIS encounter was obviously profound-bordering-on-traumatic (true flower power?) because it took him another 2 years to pen his famous poem. now THATs writers block! 
in a fanciful moment i imagined these flowers were shouting their anger cheek by jowl from the bank - using colours instead of sound. like different groups of workers uniting in peaceful protest against job losses in the insect service industry! their varied flowerheads like banners held proudly aloft in defiance!
all are familiar faves and far as i can tell, the true wild ones too. yippeeee!
so heres; Snowdrop (galanthus nivalis), Wild Daffodil (narcissus pseudonarcissus) and Lesser Celandine (ranunculus ficaria); 
the dead teasel and nettle stems in the background (along with good, established clumps of blooms) indicate this footpath is only lightly managed. 
i like the way the red of this discarded ice cream wrapper contrasts sharply with the green and white of the snowdrops in this pic. for me it also symbolises the conflict between consumerism and the natural world. i wanted these pics to be honest and thats why ive shown the backgrounds as they really are and included buildings, cars and litter.
litter, cider and lesser celandines; 
snowdrop "army scouts" creeping up the roadside probing the "enemy territory" beyond their stronghold for possible openings.... 
LATE ADDITION; todays was my most exciting 2011 native urban springflower sighting by far though!
sometimes seen planted in old gardens but RARE in its native habitat of ancient deciduous limestone woodlands in southern england. ive certainly only seen it a couple of times previously. a very pleasing find anywhere but esp on a town road (albeit a suburban 1)
STINKING HELLEBORE helleborus foetidus; the wonderful names are memorable but they themselves stink of exaggeration
you certainly cant smell it before you see it - like Stink Horn fungi or a dead animal. 
flower head. the purple colour on the tips is one way to distinguish SH from its close relative (also rare outside of gardens) GREEN HELLEBORE (helleborus viridis) 
of course, if you venture a mile or so out of the town then youll be rewarded with bigger roadside populations. like an army massing at the border prior to an invasion; 
bluebells and cuckoo flowers soon! ben Diversity. |
|
Suzi Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 No. of posts: 860 View other posts by Suzi |
Posted: 09 Mar 2011 Lovely pix Ben. So many wild daffs in the Lake District where I used to live, also whole areas of snowdrops. Neither so common in the wild here in East Devon although there are some good places for snowdrops. Suz |
|
Caleb Forum Coordinator Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 448 View other posts by Caleb |
Posted: 09 Mar 2011 Those hellebores are fantastic. Wild garlic is just starting to appear up here in the NE- that's one that you really can smell before you see it. |
- native Spring flora blooming in the city! |